The free app, called ParkApps, went live on Wednesday, June 1. ParkApps for now is available only for Apple devices, but an Android version will be released later this summer, according to a news release from the three institutions. You can go here to download the app and to learn more about it.

The project was funded with a $952,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Advancing Informal STEM Learning initiative. For Kent State, one goal of the app is to test the feasibility of using mobile devices in parks while also studying the impact of the devices on informal science learning.

Users of ParkApps will find “a digital map with points of interest where users learn about the history and ecology of the parks,” according to the release, as well as “opportunities for interactive learning.” For instance, in a section of the app called “Adventure Tracks,” visitors can explore topics like wildflowers, geology or marsh habitats while they hike the trails. The user’s mobile device “alerts them to places along the path to stop and engage with the environment,” according to the release. Once tracks are completed, users earn digital badges as a reward for their effort.

Other features include “Learn As You Go,” in which visitors can find hidden facts as they explore trails, and “My ParkApps,” where visitors and scientists can create their own maps. Future iterations of the tool will include a citizen science component and an identification feature where visitors can get help identifying plants, trees and animals, according to the release.

“This is a great example of using technology to get people back into nature and to enhance their experience in the process,” said Rick Ferdig, the Summit Professor of Learning Technologies at Kent State and lead investigator on the grant, in the release. “This partnership has allowed us to bring together park interpreters, scientists and technologists to build our understanding of informal science learning at multiple parks.”

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